The best vacation of my life 🌴
Going to keep this blogpost as brief as possible and let my pictures do the talking instead! ❤️ (Costs and packing essentials given at the end of the post)
In a nutshell
The Conrad Maldives aims to make your stay a worthwhile stay that leaves you rejuvenated and inspired. If you have only 1/3/5 hours to enjoy, learn, discover and explore Maldives, make the most of it with Conrad Hotel because they have tailored itineraries to make sure you have unforgettable adventures. You can tour the island resort on a seaplane, discover the aquatic gardens, swim with whale sharks or take dine under the sea. If all of this is too adventurous, you can also choose to unwind on the beach or take in the beautiful sunset while on a cruise across the ocean. With the world’s first undersea restaurant, this hotel boasts 12 award-winning restaurants and bars as well. Not only that, they have two tranquil spas set on stilts over the lagoon with the Over Water spa even having glass floors. This water villa resort is definitely one of a kind and will be anything but your traditional hotel stay.
My Experience (from the beginning to the end)
The Travel (16 to 20th March 2017)
It is a pain, no doubt, but so worth it (once you reach the destination 😜). ~5 hours from Dubai to Maldives and 3 hours from Maldives to Dubai.
Upon landing at the Malé airport you’re taken by a bus to a ‘Seaplane Lounge’ where you can chillax and grab a bite with free Wi-Fi and a stunning view, while you wait for your seaplane to take you to the island (in this case, Rangali Island)! We had to wait about 30 minutes at the lounge and the seaplane took around 25 minutes to reach the destination.
PS: I have an Indian passport thus, the visa is on arrival.
The Welcome
Over 5 staff members at Conrad Maldives welcomed us at the entrance with the biggest smiles on their face >😃< !! Jade (my sister) and I were offered a DELICIOUS slushy (craving rn 😩) that was a concoction of raspberry and apple – MUCH NEEDED since it was pretty humid the day we landed. The weather was around 25’C, a bit sunny in the morn and cooler after sunset.
We were escorted to the reception by the super-friendly staff and the check-in was smooth. We did a brief tour of the property and the staff showed us the best spots to take pictures 😉
The Villas
Conrad Maldives is in the Rangali Island and this island on its own is further divided into clusters. I got the opportunity to stay for 2 nights at the beach villa and the water villa (both are situated in different clusters)! My favorite? Water Villa any day! Why? Read on 🙂
Beach Villa
If you want to access the beach from your door-step, this villa is for you! It is a beautiful villa with a breathtaking room setup and view.
The only disadvantage? An open shower (proly not a disadvantage for a few LOL 😂)
If I needed room service, it was quick since the villa was near the reception. Additionally, in order to go anywhere, you will need a buggy (unless it’s a few steps away). You can expect slight delays during peak hours (breakfast and dinner time especially). As mentioned earlier, it was HOT, thus, I would always opt for the buggy ride! ☺️
Water Villa
Defo my favorite villa!! We had a private jacuzzi all to ourselves with the MOST PHENOMENAL sea view! Best part was being able to take the stairs down DIRECTLY into the sea 😭❤️
What I didn’t like? Most of the time, the crabs were attached to the base of the wooden stairs, thus Jade and I would always freak out and end up not going down! Additionally, if you call for room-service or ask for a buggy ride, it will take minimum 15 minutes most of the time since most of the restaurants are in the other cluster (where the beach villa is).
PS: Most of the couples prefer the Water Villa because of the better view and access to the jacuzzi! 🤗 You will also feel this villa is much more silent and the waves are far more audible 💤💤
Snorkeling
This is one experience you should NOT MISS (Unless you have hydrophobia)! PLEASE! 😥 Guty (our amazing snorkeling instructor) took us by a boat to South Ari Atoll, where you can find the most number of turtles, manta rays, coral reefs, Nemo, octopus, starfish, baby sharks and more, in Maldives! If you’ve never swum or done this before, you can use life jackets and Guty is there to help/guide you (Jade and I didn’t use lifejackets since we know how to swim).
Once you’re in the water, you can only hear bubbles and waves and see the beautiful species. It was the best experience I’ve ever had in my entire life!!!!! ❤️🐟🐙🐠
PS: As long as you don’t intentionally touch the species, they won’t harm you, so please don’t be scared. Additionally, the sessions are between Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 – 13:00.
The Luxury Sunset Cruise
Unlimited champagne, canapés, sunset, great company and the sea 🥂 The perfect combination! What (mentally) seemed like forever when I came to know the cruise is 2 hours… it actually finished in a jiffy!
This cruise (with Wi-Fi) takes you sight-seeing, around Maldives. It departs from the hotel right before sunset and will drop you after. If it’s within your budget, I don’t think you should miss this opportunity too since you will be able to witness a dozen of dolphins swimming right in front of you. It probably seems very stupid as you’re reading this, but that sight was… priceless and I would definitely go back in a heartbeat to see the dolphins enjoying in their natural habitat 🐬🐬🐬
You will be able to see Maldives like never before in this romantic cruise!
Click here and here to view other unique activities offered at Conrad Maldives!
The Spa
Spa at Maldives? Comeee onn… You better believe me if I say it was one of the best I’ve experienced!! I don’t usually snore, but here, I did… Oops 😂
PS: You better pee in that washroom!! It’s pricelessss 😂
Culinary Experience
Depending on your preference and mood, choose the right restaurant. But, according to me, the 2 restaurants you MUST visit are Ithaa, Mandhoo, Ufaa (if you like Japanese) and Rangali Bar (if you JUST want to chill – I spent most of my time here 😜).
Ithaa is the world’s first all-glass undersea restaurant serving contemporary cuisine. It is an experience you will always keep under lock and key and Mandhoo, on the other hand, is all about “Health and Wellness Cuisine”. I never expected healthy food to taste THAT great! I’ve traveled around the world and tried so many types of ‘healthy’ food, but nothing’s been this exceptional. This open-air over-water restaurant is a true delight. The menu is specially prepared to energize, nourish, detoxify, relax and fortify the body using organic produce grown on the island and imported from around the world. The chefs’ cooking technique pays focused attention to specific tastes, temperature, moisture level, and density as they all affect the mind and body in different ways. Doesn’t that sound SO COOL?! Do try it ☺️
Click here to read about the other restaurants.
Packing Essentials
- Depending on the weather, please take enough sunscreen, shades and a hat
- A good collection of swimwear
- If you want to go snorkeling, take the flippers and respective swimwear with you to save extra cost
- Ladies, save baggage weight by not carrying heels! It’s sandy all over the resort (except inside the restaurants) and walking around in flats (in a fancy resto or by the beach) is a given
- Multiplugs (if you don’t have any, the hotel has extra)
Costs
- Water Villa: From USD 410 per night
- Beach Villa: From USD 390 per night
- Spa (Maldivian Indigenous Treatment): USD 190 exclusive of 10% service charge and 12% TGST
- Luxury Cruise: USD 140 per person exclusive of 10% service charge and 12% TGST
- Underwater Ithaa Restaurants: USD 320, USD 195 and USD 75 per person for dinner menu, lunch menu and cocktail hour respectively
- Snorkeling: USD 150 per person exclusive of 10% service charge and 12% TGST
- Seaplane (compulsory): USD560 per person with taxes
The experiences at Conrad Maldives are not sold as packages. However, if you want to pre-book any experience please email mlehi.maldives@conradhotels.com
Thank you Conrad Maldives for an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life – you were AMAZING!!!!
Conrad Maldives Location
Contact +960 668-0629 for more information.
